Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno stands by plan to appoint new commissioner from local candidates contrary to City Council's non-binding vote

SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is staying with his plan to select a local candidate for police commissioner in Springfield, in response to a formal request from the City Council on Monday night, asking him to delay the appointment and expand to a nationwide search for candidates.

Sarno, through his communications director, James Leydon, said Tuesday there is nothing new to report regarding his plan to interview three deputy chiefs early this month, consider their qualifications and select one to serve as the new police commissioner. Current Commissioner William J. Fitchet plans to retire by June 30, and Sarno said he will select his replacement well before that date from the three deputies.

The council approved a nonbinding resolution Monday, by an 8-3 margin, that asks Sarno to conduct a nationwide search for the police commissioner. In the same resolution, the council stated its intent to consider re-establishing a five-member Police Commission to oversee the police department, through a new ordinance, and asked Sarno to delay his appointment of the commissioner until the council “is able to act with finality” on that issue.

Some councilors have suggested that the Police Commission, as proposed, would oversee the police department and discipline, and that either a police chief or police commissioner would oversee day-to-day operations.

"We need a national search,” Councilor Justin Hurst said Tuesday, regarding the police commissioner appointment. “We should not be fearful about opening up the search. We feel we should have an open and transparent process.”

Sarno is planning closed-door interviews with the deputies, and has not said if that would be followed by public interviews. The deputies are Robert McFarlin, William Cochrane and John Barbieri.

Rooke said he joins Sarno in believing the department should be overseen by a single commissioner, who is responsible for overseeing the department and handling all matters of appointments, promotions and discipline.

“Everybody including the officers and rank and file know that person is in charge,” Rooke said.

In addition, Sarno has an appointed citizen advisory board, known as the Community Police Review Board, that has hearings on citizens' complaints, and offers recommendations to the commissioner.

Sarno, and City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula, said the council cannot legally create the commission without the mayor’s support under the Plan A (strong mayor) form of government in the city charter. Several councilors say they disagree, and Hurst asked that Sarno let the issue “play out” rather than finalize any contract with a new appointment.

Rooke said there is a national trend toward having a single police commissioner rather than a citizen board overseeing the department.

Hurst said that at a recent hearing, and at hearings in the past, there has been public support for the Police Commission.

In addition, there was a nationwide search for a superintendent of schools, with the local candidate, Daniel Warwick, chosen as the best candidate, Hurst said. The same could hold true for the police commissioner position, he said.

Edwards opposed limiting the search to three local candidates, saying that if the mayor deems them to be the best qualified people for the job, they “should be able to stand up to public scrutiny and a national search.”

Edwards said that some people had considered former Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott as being a prime person for the Springfield job years ago, but under the current system he could not have even applied.

The council resolution stated that the majority of councilors support the revival of the Police Commission.

Sarno said last week that he has worked closely with the deputy chiefs, and said they are “very qualified individuals and have done a great job,” and are prepared to “hit the ground running.” 